A Message from Pastor Brad Thompson:

     If you have a background in the LDS church, I know how suspicious you may be about even attending another church's service. I've been there. After spending the first 35 years of my life in the LDS church, I found out that it was not all that it claimed to be and resigned my membership. But I still believed in God... or at least wanted to. The last thing I wanted to do was walk into a church where I figured I would have people telling me what to believe, how to feel, and how I should be living my life.

     Because I have been through that upsetting, life-changing, and heart-wrenching process of leaving Mormonism, I have a passion for creating a church experience that will be a safe place for PostMormons to come, ask their questions, and explore a new and rational faith in God. You won't have to worry about being judged, ridiculed, or grilled about your past beliefs here. Like you, much of "being LDS" will always be a part of who I am. It was my culture as much as it was my religion.

     If you are a PostMormon, or someone who is beginning to discover that the LDS church isn't all that it claims to be, we would love to have you come and visit. You'll find a group of people who understand what you're going through and are here to help in whatever way we can.

     I hope you'll consider coming out and seeking to know God with us on a Sunday morning. It is our goal to show you the love, respect, and compassion that Jesus intends us to have for each other, regardless of our beliefs and backgrounds.

     - Brad

Here is some of what to expect when you come and visit:

• AS A VISITOR, you won't be put on the spot or be asked to take part in anything that you are not comfortable with. We do have a short time of casual interaction that gives us a chance to meet you, say hello, and get to know you a little bit.
• MUSIC: We sing contemporary worship songs with an occasional old hymn thrown in. We have the lyrics available if you want to try to sing along, but don't feel obligated to. If you just want to listen, that's perfectly fine. We usually use acoustic guitars as accompaniment and sometimes have people join in with other instruments like bass guitars, mandolins, hand drums, and such. It's more like a casual group of people singing together around a campfire than it is a traditional time of singing congregational hymns.
• DRESS: We are a come-as-you-are fellowship. Whether shorts and t-shirts or shirts and ties, we just want you to be comfortable. We often meet outside during the summer months, so you'll want to come prepared for the weather.
• TEACHING: It is very rare that you'll hear Brad speak specifically about Mormonism on Sunday morning, and even then you'll never hear it done in a derogatory or ridiculing sort of way. By virtue of Brad's past, you will find that his messages ring true for those with Mormon backgrounds as well as other backgrounds. He teaches from the Bible with an emphasis on relating why it is trustworthy and effective in our lives today.
• TITHING: You will not be asked to give money. The teachings of Jesus and the apostles are very clear that tithes and offerings should be done cheerfully and out of a desire to give, not out of a sense of obligation or being pressured.
• SACRAMENT: What you know as "passing the sacrament", we call communion. We use grape juice and crackers for this, in representation of the wine and unleavened bread. We don't do this every week, but follow Jesus' teaching to do it "often". You are welcome to take communion with us if you like, but are just as welcome to refrain. Communion for us is simply a time of reflection, remembrance, and thanksgiving for the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross.
• PRAYER: You'll notice that our prayers do not necessarily use the "thee's" and "thou's" that you may be used to. We pray in a personal, conversational, and relational way, using the kind of language we can converse in most freely. While this may at first seem overly casual or lacking in proper respect for God, we always seek to pray in a way that magnifies and glorifies God.
• BIBLE TRANSLATION: We teach primarily from the New King James Version of the Bible. As a PostMormon, we realize that this translation can be hard to accept as a legitimate translation at first. We use it for a couple of reasons. First, it is a translation in modern English from the same manuscripts that the original King James Version was translated from. Second, it has a very thorough cross-referencing system to other manuscripts. If you are not comfortable using the New King James version, you are certainly welcome to bring your King James Version and follow along. We also have spare Bibles available for you to borrow during the service.

If you have other questions or concerns that we haven't addressed here, you can get answers by emailing Brad at brad@boisechristianfellowship.org.